Another Story
by Red Paladin
Summary: Kokonose Haruka is a depressed artist who shut himself in away in his room years ago. One day in the height of summer, everything seems to go wrong, and his life changes forever, but is newfound friendship enough to conquer both death and the demons of his past? A retelling of the "Kagerou Daze" story in which the roles of characters are swapped.
1. Artificial Enemy I

_"The more things change, the more they are the same."_ Alphonse Karr, 1849.

* * *

"Master? Master, perhaps you should take a break from drawing?"

"It's okay, Ano."

"But Master-"

"Ano."

Ano moved to the top-left corner of the drawing tablet, bringing her legs up to her chest in an attempt to take up as little of the screen as possible. She knew he hated talking as her worked, but the novelty of sifting through his computer's documents had quickly worn off.

"Master?" She started in a timid voice, brushing a strand of crimson hair out of her face. "Don't you think it's time we went outside?"

He grunted in annoyance. "We're not having this conversation again, Ano." His stare was as cold as ice. She could sense his irritation, even from behind the screen of the tablet.

"Alright." Ano nodded. "I was just thinking, perhaps we could get some fresh air, maybe go to a fair or something. Today's a public holiday."

"I don't want to-"

"But Master-"

"Stop calling me that."

"Haruka, we can't stay locked in this room forever!" She banged her fist against the screen.

"Then leave." He told her. "Go."

"Alright. I'll amuse myself, okay?" A smile flashed across her face before she disappeared into a flash of scarlet.

* * *

When Ano first entered the computer of Haruka Kokonose, she was met with an indifferent, apathetic artist who had no life left in him. Now, two years later, she was struggling to keep the boy alive, acting as both his sole companion and his connection to the outside world, with which he'd lost touch. She didn't know what triggered his introverted behaviour, but that was how they worked: they didn't tell each other their backstories for the sake of privacy. Clearly, something tragic had caused him a lot of pain, and her story wasn't sweet.

They spent their days communicating when necessary. Sometimes, Ano would try and convince him to put his drawing tablet down, but he didn't. She tried to understand his artwork, but she couldn't. He drew the same person again and again, in different styles, in different colours. It was always the same person - a girl - she looked somewhat familiar, it was like Ano had seen her in a dream. She never dwelled on it too much.

Besides, she knew sometimes things were better left unsaid, and she knew sometimes the truth was better off buried. She knew too well.

* * *

Haruka had long since grown accustomed to his electronics turning themselves on and off. Since Ano's arrival, it became an almost daily occurrence, so he wasn't surprised to hear her voice coming from his computer's speaker.

"Have you finished that drawing yet?" She asked, her words muffled by static. "It's been three hours."

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, resting his drawing tablet on his lap. "Get out of there." He told her, watching as his monitor's screen lit up.

"Have you finished? Because I found a really cool website I want to show you!" Ano grinned. Haruka's computer was by far her favourite place of residence. "Look!"

Haruka sighed yet again, spinning himself around on his wheeled chair to get a better view of the cyber girl. "Hurry up." He muttered.

Ano smiled and operated Haruka's computer from the inside, loading a search engine before accessing an on screen keyboard. "Look!" She cheered after she'd finished typing. "It's an online game!"

In an instant, Haruka was up on his feet. His drawing tablet flew from his knees, landing on the wooden flooring with a clatter. "Ano!" He hissed. "Get off that website!" Launching himself at the computer, he took control for himself. "Stop it!"

She'd never seen him act so irrationally, but something stirred him. His eyes were wide and his jaw was slack. "Haruka?" She murmured.

"Stop messing around, Ano." He frowned, closing the web browser. "Can't you just- just go away?"

Ano had to admit that it hurt. "Sorry, Master." She mumbled. She moved to the bottom of the screen to sit on one of the shortcuts to some of his documents, accidentally kicking an MP3 file away as she did.

"Look, I didn't- oh no."

"Master?"

"Ano, you idiot! This can't be happening!" Haruka's hands flew up to tug at his hair. "No!"

Lying on the floor with a cracked screen was his precious drawing tablet.

"This can't be happening!" He wailed for a second time. "No, no, no, no,_ no!"_

Yet again, he was left to pick up the pieces of Ano's messes.

* * *

_Hey, won't you let me in? I just want to talk, _

_You need some light back in your life,_

_No, don't go away- Please don't shut me out!_

_Can't you see I'm lonely too?_


	2. Artificial Enemy II-Kokonose Attention I

**Artificial Enemy II**

* * *

"Doesn't this feel great?" Ano cheered, throwing her arms up. "Fresh air!"

After the death of his beloved drawing tablet, Kokonose Haruka had finally been lured out of his sanctuary of two years. Delivery services across most technology chain stores had been cancelled for a few days, given the fact that the rest of the Japan was enjoying a public holiday. Haruka couldn't care less.

If Ano had broken his computer, he would've waited until delivery services returned to their usual schedules, but he wouldn't be able to survive without a drawing tablet for three days.

"Ano, you're digital." He reminded the cyber girl, rolling his eyes at her exuberance. "Air quality shouldn't matter to you."

One of the perks of having a pocket-sized companion (however useless she may be) was that they could communicate discreetly. She'd transferred herself to his mobile phone before he left the house and he'd plugged his earphones into the audio jack.

Ano tapped against the phone's screen, smiling as brightly as ever. "How about we listen to some music, hm?" Before Haruka could formulate an argument, Ano had already helped herself to his MP3 files, picking out an upbeat song he didn't know he had.

"You're so annoying sometimes." He mumbled. "This is the first time I've been outside in two years. I... I don't think I can do this."

"You'll be fine, Haruka!" Ano grinned, humming along to the song she'd picked, muttering the occasional line. It was obvious that she wasn't paying her full attention.

Haruka sighed and debated whether or not to turn down his phone's volume. In the end, he decided against it. Ano's sweet, maternal nature often acted as compensation for her idiocy, but her wrath was a completely different component to her personality. She rarely grew to be enraged, but that wasn't to say her anger was to be taken lightly.

"The sooner we get there, the better." Haruka grimaced, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Have summers always been this hot?"

"I wouldn't know." Ano mused.

* * *

**Kokonose Attention I**

* * *

Another day, another battle; Momo's life had been following the same pattern for a good few years now. She'd wake up alone in her bedroom, a normal girl with a normal life, but all of that would change as soon as she left the house.

She understood that she wasn't a bad looking girl. She was quite pretty, actually, but that couldn't be the only explanation for the peculiar way in which the world reacted to her.

When she was younger, her teachers would always praise her for mediocrity and she was consecutively the first choice for any lead role in school productions, even if she hadn't auditioned. It was strange, but she seemed to have a natural flair for drawing in the attention of others, especially that of her seniors.

But life wasn't so great, not when she had to constantly deal with the jealousy of her classmates and peers, who often worked harder than she did, and to higher standards, only to be brushed aside. Her domestic life was just as strenuous - what, with a hospitalised mother, a deceased father and a brother who drowned himself in apathy, she didn't have much to go home to - and it was only getting worse as she aged.

Yes, the struggles of Kokonose Momo were real, and they wouldn't fade away. So she usually plastered on a smile and tried to forget about them anyway.

* * *

The chants were only getting louder.

_"Kokonose-chan, Kokonose-chan!" _

She quickly pulled the hood of her t-shirt over her head, grimacing as the muscles in her legs started to burn. This was all Haruka's fault, surely. If only he were a proper big brother, he would've remembered to at least order some shopping from a supermarket's online services. That way, she could've eaten at home, but no, the kitchen cupboards were bare and her stomach was screaming.

_"I just want an autograph!"_

_"Is that really her?"_

_"Oh my gosh, it's Momo!" _

"I-I'm not working today!" She protested, spluttering as she fought to catch her breath. "It's my day off!"

Eventually, she made it to the inner-city and took a few turns down some rather damp alleyways in order to escape the hordes of people that called themselves her fans.

When an acting agency caught wind of a mysterious young girl and her captivating personality, they exploited her and her misfortune. With her mother's medical bills to pay, and her household's lack of income, she had to step up. The agency paid well, at least, but being an idol brought more trouble than it was worth. Momo couldn't venture out of her house without being followed. She'd sacrificed her privacy for the ability to live in financial stability.

"It's not fair." She muttered to herself, slumping down a wall. "It's not fair."

It just wasn't her day. Earlier, she'd knocked over a rude, sharp-tongued boy who'd called her a few names before rushing off. He was bold enough to question her age and scolded her for wasting his precious time. How pretentious.

Nothing was going her way.

"This is all your fault, Haruka."

* * *

Kokonose Momo was at her limit, and she was breaking apart. In a world that didn't seem capable of looking away, she was the centre of attention and her life was constantly in the limelight. Even at a time where she thought she was alone, away from the spotlight and the cameras, she was being silently observed by afar by a person who would change her life forever.

Someone who had the answers to all of her problems.

Well, most of them anyway.


	3. Kokonose Attention II-Blindfold Code I

**Kokonose Attention II**

* * *

Mary clung tightly to Seto's arm, refusing to let him leave her side. "Are you sure about this, Seto-kun?" She whimpered, chewing lightly on her lower lip. "Is she definitely one of us?"

"Definitely, Mary." Seto nodded with a smile, patting the shorter girl gently on the head. "She has an eye power, just like us. Commander's sure of it."

For a days few now, the pair had been tailing a girl with an unusual gift, one which they had yet to come across - she seemed to attract the attention of whomever looked her way - she captivated crowds and had captured hearts from all over Japan. A few local newspapers even predicted that she'd break into the international market with enough exposure.

Mary rocked back and forth on her heels, deep in thought. "I wish I had a power like that. People would appreciate my poetry." She mumbled. "B-But then again..."

"Your power's fine as it is." Seto chuckled, glancing back at Mary. They'd reached the rooftop of a department store on the outskirts of the city where Kokonose tended to visit. "Besides, you wouldn't be able to cope with all of the attention that Kokonse-chan gets, would you?"

"No. You're right." Mary smiled. "So are we going to pick her up now?" She asked, a hint of excitement working its way into her voice.

Seto shook his head, his smile growing wider. Mary's happiness was his own, after all. "Not yet." He told her. "But soon. We'll wait from our orders from Commander first."

* * *

**Blindfold Code I**

* * *

"How about this one?" Ano asked, still humming a few bars from the song she'd picked earlier. In an instant, she'd transferred herself from Haruka's phone to a nearby tablet. "Look, the screen's all nice and smooth! No scratches!" She grinned. "It's better than your old one by far!"

"Yeah, well..." Haruka grumbled. "I liked my old one. Wouldn't need another if it weren't for your stupid pranks."

"It wasn't a prank!" Ano wailed, attracting the attention of a few nearby customers.

"Pipe down!" Hissed Haruka, turning down the tablet's volume. Surely he looked like a madman. Whispering to an electronic device, after all, wasn't a activity the sane usually participated in. "Let's just get one and go, I'm sick of this place. I want to go home."

"Oh, master..." Ano sighed, shaking her head. "You'll never learn to live a little, will you?"

"I'm quite happy with things as they are." He muttered. "Come, on, back in the phone."

Ano pouted and readjusted the collar of her scarlet jacket. Why she chose to wear such horrendously oversized clothing was a mystery. Haruka would never understand anyway. She sent herself over from the tablet and back into Haruka's phone using the store's gift to masses: the brilliant, free wi-fi signal. Haruka suspected that a few of the customers weren't even browsing for new gadgets, they were just leeching off the store's generosity. His phone buzzed with Ano's return, so moved away to look at some more expensive brands.

"Still your fault," He groaned.

"Excuse me?" A voice from behind him drawled.

Haruka froze as panic seeped into this veins. A pang of guilt hit him straight in the chest as he spun on his heel only to come face to face with a boy who looked more amused than anything. He definitely didn't look to be particularly upset.

"...I wasn't talking to you, sorry about that."

The boy hid a snigger behind one hand and a mischievous gleam flashed in his eyes.

"I'm sorry?" Haruka raised an eyebrow. "I didn't mean-"

"I know." The boy sneered. "You weren't talking to me. I know."

And with that, turning his back on Haruka and sauntered off.

"...What was that?" Ano cried, appalled by the rude stranger. "You apologised and everything! What did he mean?"

"I don't know." Haruka cut her short, unsure, but he tried to push the brief encounter to the back of his mind. The boy was probably be sarcastic and trying to wind him up a little. "...Whatever. Doesn't matter. Let's just get a tablet and go."

* * *

After another twenty minutes or so, Haruka finally picked out a drawing tablet he liked - it was slim and silver, it came with two free pens and it had a reasonable price tag - perfect. Mission accomplished. Home was within his sight as he wandered over to the nearest cashier's desk, wanting nothing more than to retreat back to his room, but not all was to go to plan.

Suddenly, everything fell into a crimson haze as bright lights blinked from the ceiling, accompanied by an ear-splitting whine. The electronic shutters for the store's windows fell down, banging and clattering horribly, and a tall man who'd been standing by the door since Haruka's arrival slammed it shut, using his body as a shield. Nobody moved to challenge him. A few men from the back of the store marched to the main cash desk, some wearing masks, some exposed, all toting handguns of varying sizes.

"I want you all to fall to the floor." One man instructed, moving to stand in front of the rest of his men. "All of you. Now. This is robbery and you are to do as I say if you value your lives."

Without thinking, Haruka fell to his knees, eyes wide.

"Master?" Ano's staticky voice crackled in one ear. "Master? What are you doing?" She spluttered, blind from her position within his pocket. "Master?"

"Stay calm and listen to my instructions. Perhaps you'll live." The spokesman grinned madly, pointing his gun at the huddled forms of those closest to him. He started to pace back and forth slowly, pointing his weapon from person to person. "I am asking the government for a ransom which will spare most of you your precious lives. However, there is a price that must be paid, be it with our nation's currency or our nation's lives. For every thirty minutes that pass without payment, I shall take the life of a person in this room. Don't scream, don't cry, or I'll kill you regardless. Understood?"

The room fell silent, excluding a poor girl who crouched near Haruka. She sank her teeth into the hand she held at her mouth but her distressed sobs were still loud enough for anyone to hear. She curled tighter into a ball. Her youth didn't stop one of the gunmen from taking aim.

"Stop crying." The man told her, but she started to shake even harder.

"I'm sorry mother." She whispered to herself, chilling Haruka to the bone with her accepting tone. She'd already welcomed her death, she knew her time was up. "I'm sorry Satoshi, Kyoko, Hitomi-"

Most of the hostages screamed and shrieked in terror as a bullet opened the girl's skull and her blood stained the floor's tiles. The spokesman let the commotion pass, allowing for the rest of the hostages to vent the last of their pain.

"That girl shall be your warning." He spat, motioning for one of his inferiors to move the girl's corpse. "The first thirty minutes begins now. Your lives are in the hands of your government."


End file.
